Updates, advisories and surprises

(6:53 PM ET) LOS ANGELES (MarketWatch) -- Japanese online retailer Rakuten Inc.(JP:4755)
RKUNF, -0.81%
will post a record high operating profit for the first half of the year, the Nikkei business daily said in an unsourced report Wednesday. The company would likely announce 36 billion yen ($455 million) in operating profit for the six months, making it the fourth highest for a Japanese retailer after Seven & I Holdings Co.(JP:3382)
SVNDF, +4.41%
Aeon Co.(JP:8267)
AONNF, +6.06%
and Fast Retailing Co.(JP:9983)
FRCOF, +5.19%
the report said. It attributed the gain to sustained strength in online food and drink purchases after last year's earthquake, as well as Rakuten's credit-card business "as the company offered extra reward points for purchases" made with their cards.

Yahoo's results "solid base" for Mayer, analyst

(4:55 PM ET) SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) -- Yahoo Inc.'s
YHOO, -2.00%
quarterly results give new chief executive Marissa Mayer "a solid base to work from," said Tim Bajarin, president of technology industry research firm Creative Stragtegies. Excluding one-time items, Yahoo reported a profit of 27 cents a share on $1.08 billion in revenue, with display ad sales of $473 million, up 1% from a year ago. "Any time they have a plus in any column, they have to look at it as an advance," said Bajarin. Yahoo named Mayer as its CEO on Monday and she started her new job Tuesday. In after-hours trading, Yahoo shares rose 3 cents in after-hours trading to $15.63.

EMC pre-announces results; names new president

(4:31 PM ET) SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) -- EMC Corp.
EMC, +0.41%
said Tuesday afternoon that it has named current CFO David Goulden to the post of president and chief operating officer. Goulden replaces Pat Gelsinger, who will take over the CEO post for VMware
VMW, +0.70%
which is majority owned by EMC. The data storage firm also pre-announced revenue of $5.31 billion with adjusted earnings of 39 cents per share for the second quarter. Analysts had been expecting revenue of $5.3 billion with earnings of 40 cents per share for the period. The company said it continues to expect to achieve its full-year revenue target of $22 billion with earnings-per-share of $1.70 on an adjusted basis. Shares of EMC were up more than 5% in after-hours trading on Tuesday following the results.

United Rentals swings to loss

(4:30 PM ET) SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) - United Rentals Inc.
URI, +0.68%
reported late Tuesday a fiscal second-quarter loss of $52 million, or 63 cents a share, down from a profit of $27 million, or 37 cents a share, a year ago. Revenue for the quarter rose 58% to $993 million. Analysts polled by FactSet had predicted the equipment rental company would earn 53 cents a share. Shares of United Rentals have risen nearly 50% in the past 12 months, closing Tuesday at $34.43.

CSX posts narrowly higher profit, revenue flat

(4:28 PM ET) SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch)-- CSX Corp.
CSX, -0.57%
reported late Tuesday second-quarter profit rose to $512 million, or 49 cents a share, from $506 million, or 46 cents a share a year ago. This marks the tenth consecutive quarter of earnings growth for the railway service. Revenue for the three months ended June 30 slipped to $3.01 billion from $3.02 billion year-over-year. An increase in shipments of export coal and intermodal and automotive parts helped offset declines in utility coal while volume remained flat. Analysts expected the Jacksonville, Fla.-based transportation company to earn 47 cents per share, according analysts polled by FactSet. CSX shares rose to $22.95 in after-hours trade. Ahead of the report, the stock was down over 10% over the past 12 months.

Slumps in Vegas and Macau hit Wynn Resorts

(4:15 PM ET) CHICAGO (MarketWatch) -- A slump in the take from its casinos in both Macau and Las Vegas dragged down Wynn Resorts' adjusted profit and total revenue in the second quarter, the gambling firm said Tuesday. On the bottom line, Wynn
WYNN, -0.85%
earned $138 million, or $1.37 a share, up from $122 million, or 97 cents a share. But excluding items, Wynn earned $139 million, or $1.38 a share, for the period, down from $201 million, or $1.60 a share, in the same quarter of 2011. Revenue fell to $1.25 billion from $1.37 billion, with Macau down 7.1% and Las Vegas down 11.6%. The average estimate of analysts polled by FactSet Research had been for the company to earn $1.49 a share on revenue of $1.33 billion.

VMware confirms changes; pre-announces revenue

(4:13 PM ET) SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) -- VMware Inc. confirmed a change in its CEO position after the closing bell on Tuesday, following media reports that reported the change earlier. Paul Maritz will leave the CEO post at VMware
VMW, +0.70%
and take on a "technology strategist role" at EMC
EMC, +0.41%
which owns the majority of VMware's shares. EMC chief operating officer Pat Gelsinger will take over the CEO role at VMware. Also, VMware reported preliminary revenues for the second quarter of $1.12 billion, slightly ahead of Wall Street's consensus target of $1.1 billion. It also expects full-year revenues to be in the range of $4.54 billion to $4.64 billion; analysts ad expected $4.58 billion. Shares of VMware jumped more than 6% in after-hours trading following the news.

Yahoo's earnings, sales flat from a year ago

(4:11 PM ET) SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) -- Yahoo Inc.
YHOO, -2.00%
on Tuesday reported a fiscal second-quarter profit of 18 cents a share, on revenue excluding the costs of acquiring traffic of $1.08 billion, which was flat with the same period a year ago. Excluding one-time items, Yahoo would have earned 27 cents a share. Analysts surveyed by Thomson Reuters had forecast Yahoo to earn 23 cents a share on $1.1 billion in revenue. The results came one day after Yahoo named Marissa Mayer as its new chief executive officer.

Mosaic doubles dividend, shares spike

(10:49 AM ET) SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) -- Mosaic Co.
MOS, +0.26%
saw its share price jump as much as 4% in early trade Tuesday after reporting its fiscal fourth-quarter results. The Plymouth, Minn.-based company also doubled its dividend helping land the stock among the top percentage gainers in the S&P 500
SPX, -0.23%
The move also lifted the shares of other fertilizer companies including CF Industries
CF, +0.14%
and Potash Corp
POT, +0.44%
which were both up over 1.5%. Mosaic beat analysts' expectations despite a fourth-quarter profit drop of nearly 22%. Mosaic is currently trading at $57.36 a share.

Mattel trades near 52-week highs after profit beat

(10:13 AM ET) SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) -- Mattel
MAT, -0.98%
shares topped S&P 500
SPX, -0.23%
gainers Tuesday morning, jumping 10% to $34.19 after the toymaker beat consensus second-quarter profit estimates. Mattel earned 28 cents a share. Analysts had forecast a profit of 20 cents a share, according to FactSet. Mattel said global Barbie doll sales rose 5%, while strong demand for Hot Wheels helped push its toy car sales up 9%. Gross margin rose to 51.3% of sales, up from 47.9% in the same 2011 period. Mattel shares, trading near 52-week highs, are up 25% over the last 12 months. That easily beats the 2.7% gain for the S&P 500 over the same period.

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